Rotatable car and train-line coupler arrangement



March 2, 1954 R C, KEPNER ET AL 2,670,857

ROTATABLE CAR AND TRAIN-LINE COUPLER ARRANGEMENT Filed NOV. 18, 1947 INVENTORS u BYM4-MATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2, 1954 ROTATABLE CAR AND TRAIN -LINE COUPLER ARRANGEMENT Robert C. Kepner and Robert A. Shields, Bloomsburg.

Pa., assignors to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N .Y Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 18, 1947, Serial No. 786,714 6 Claims. Cl. 213-76) This invention relates to car couplers in general and in particular to couplers for use with mine or other industrial cars which are intended to be rotated about a longitudinal axis to dump the contents thereof. During recent years mines and other industrial workings have been enlarged to the point where materials must be hauled a long distance, accordingly, the trend is toward as large cars as can beworked within the limiting clearances. Also, due to the long haulage speeds have had to be increased to meet production requirements. Due to increased speeds and loads the customary hand brake has become unsafe and, accordingly, some type of power brake must be applied. With normal cars the ordinary air brake and coupling between cars can be used, however, in order to speed discharge it is preferable to rotate the cars through an angle approximating at least 180- degrees. In most instances it is found more economical to rotate the car during dumping through a full 360 degrees. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a coupling between cars so designed as to carry air or other brake actuating medium through the coupling while permitting relative rotation between cars.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatic coupling provided with connected piping so arranged as to permit full rotation of the coupler.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a car coupler rotatable about a horizontal axis and carrying pipe connections so arranged as to permit passage of a brake actuating medium irrespective of the rotation of the coupler.

A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a coupler and pipe connections between cars so arranged as to permit relative rotation of the cars without uncoupling.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the couplers and pipes in connected position;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the couplers with parts broken away to better disclose the construction;

Fig. 3 is a slightly enlarged horizontal sectional view through the one coupler element to better disclose the rotary feature of the coupler and pipe, and

Fig. 4 is a. vertical sectional view taken substantially through the center of the coupler.

Referring inow tothe drawings in detail it will and B are fastened to car end sill structures C by means of channel shaped members 2. These channel shaped members are adapted to receive a rubber or other resilient buiiing pad 4 located between the channel and a follower plate 6. Other rubber `or lresilient draft strips 8 are located forwardly of the follower plate and these are positioned between the follower plate and a retaining plate IIJ. Bolts I2 extend through the channel 2, follower plate 6 and front Aplate I0* to retain the parts in assembled relation. The

` channel 2 may as described be separate from the car and attached thereto in any suitable manner, or the channel 2 may be formed as a part of the car end sill if so desired. As best shown in Fig. 4, each follower plate is provided with an upstanding lug I4 against which a spring I6 may bear, which spring will counteract the overhanging weight of the coupler or coupler head and hold the same in a substantially horizontal position. VSpaced arms I8 extend forwardly from each follower plate and are apertured to receive a pin 20 adapted to transmit the buff and draft forces from the coupler and coupler head to the car structure. g

The coupler head A has a rigid shank extending back between spaced plates I8 for pinned connection with the pin 20. This coupler head is provided with a flat buing face 22 surrounding an opening adapted to receive a part of the coupler. Back of the flat buing face a latch member 24 is provided, which latch member is adapted to engage or disengage the coupler projection later to be referred to. The coupler head A can swing in a horizontal direction around its pin 20 but cannot rotate about a horizontal axis with respect to the car or any part of the coupler head assembly.

The coupler B is made up of two main parts, one of which is connected to the pin 20 and the other of which can be connected to a coupler head. 'I'hese two main parts are rotated relative to each other. The outermost part of coupler B is provided with an extension 28 having a pocket 30 into which a portion of the latch 24 may drop when the 'coupler parts are connected. Rearwardly of the projection the coupler is provided with a flat bufing face 32 adapted to cooperate with and tightly engage the smaller buing facev 22 of the coupler head. The outer coupler part extends rearwardly of the bufling face 32 to pro- Vide use? with@ Pe-.considered 1a iubularproier.

head to conduct a pressure medium to said passageways.

3. In a haulage system the combination of a pair of cars adapted to run on rails and provided with pressure operated brakes and cooperating coupler heads each connected to a car, at least one of the connections between the coupler head and car comprising in part a shank upon which the coupler head is mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis whereby said cars may While coupled rotate through more than 90 degrees relative to each other about said axis, and conduit means carried by said cars and by said coupler head and shank and independent of the cooperating coupler head for conducting a pressure medium between the cars during rotation of the coupled cars about said axis.

4. In a haulage system the combination of a pair of cars adapted to run on rails and provided with pressure operated brakes and cooperating coupler heads each connected to a car, at least one of the connections between the coupler head and car comprising in part a shank upon which the coupler head is mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis whereby said cars may while coupled rotate more than 120 degrees relative to each other about said axis, and conduit means carried by said cars and by said coupler head and shank for conducting a pressure medium between the cars during rotation of the coupled cars about said axis, said conduit means including a rotatable seal positioned substantially concentric with said axis, and also including automatically operating valved connections whereby said cars may be separated without loss of pressure medium from said conduit means.

5. In a haulage system the combination of a pair of cars adapted to run on rails and provided with pressure operated brakes and cooperating coupler heads each connected to a car, at least one of the connections between the coupler head and car comprising in part a shank upon which the coupler head is mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis whereby said cars 6 may while coupled rotate through more than degreesrelative to each other about said axis, and conduit means carried by said cars and by said coupler head and shank and independent of the cooperating coupler head for conducting .a pressure medium between the cars during rotation of the coupled cars about said axis, said conduit means including automatically operating separable valve connections whereby said cars may be separated Without loss of pressure medium from said conduit.

6. A rotary car coupler comprising in combination, a female coupler head, a male coupler head adapted to couple with said female coupler head, a shank member projecting into said male coupler head and supporting the same for relative rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a nipple member formed on the interior of said male coupler head, a passage extending laterally outward from said nipple to the exterior of said male coupler head at one side thereof, a conduit carried by said shank member and rotatably sealed with respect to said nipple member to conduct a pressure medium through the shank to the nipple and passage, and a connector carried by said male coupler head at the outer end of said passage and including a check valve normally preventing flow of pressure medium through said passage.

ROBERT C. KEPNER. ROBERT A. SHIELDS.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 481,071 Smith Aug. 16, 1892 583,832 Wright June 1, 1897 588,052 Bryan Aug. 10, 1897 1,296,230 Thiem et al. Mar. 4, 1919 1,297,808 Diniese Mar. 18, 1919 1,629,551 Stollberg May 24, 1927 2,225,418 Larsson Dec. 17, 1940V 

